Raj police team in Delhi in search of Dy EC Zutshi

New Delhi/Jaipur: A team of Jaipur police
is in Delhi to execute the arrest warrant against senior IAS
officer Vinod Zutshi, who is currently serving as Deputy
Election Commissioner, in connection with alleged illegal
leasing of government land in the Rajasthan capital.

The two-member team headed by Sub-Inspector Suresh
Chand left Jaipur yesterday for New Delhi, a senior Jaipur
police officer said on Monday.

"We have sent a two-member team to Delhi in search of
Zutshi," the police officer, who did not want to be named,
said. Zutshi is at present overseeing arrangements for the
Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

A Jaipur court had in September last year issued the
warrant against four persons including Zutshi and a RAS
officer Hridesh Kumar in a matter relating to alleged cheating
and illegal leasing of government land around 16th century Jal
Mahal in the Rajasthan Capital to a private company.

The Rajasthan High Court on November 16 last dismissed
anticipatory bail applications of Zutshi and Kumar in
connection with the case.

The government land adjoining Mansagar lake was handed
over on lease for 99 years by Rajasthan Tourism Development
Corporation (RTDC) to Jal Mahal Resorts limited for developing
tourist facilities around the lake.

Zutshi was the RTDC Chairman in 2005 when the land lease
deal was finalised. Kumar and Rakesh Saini, who were his
subordinates at that time, were also involved when the deal.

The deal got mired in controversy when objections were
raised as to how the government land could be leased out for
99 years instead of 30 years, which is akin to selling it.

A Jaipur resident Bhagwat Gaud had registered a criminal
complaint against the alleged conspiracy by the government
officers and the businessman concerned. The complaint was
filed before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Suresh Chand
Bhatt.